Today I’m sharing the second part of our Viking River Cruise from Prague to Paris. We went to four beautiful towns in Germany — Heidelberg, Mainz, Rudesheim, and Trier. Be sure to check out Part 1 of our cruise in case you missed it! :)
Here is a link to the exact cruise we took.
Heidelberg
Heidelberg is a university town in southwestern Germany.
The ruins of Heidelberg Castle are perched on a hill overlooking the town.
The castle has the best views!
One thing I really loved about our Viking River Cruise was the tours.
In every town we visited we were offered a free walking tour with a local guide covering all the highlights of the town. The guides were usually born and raised in the town, and the tours were always informative and entertaining.
Another thing I really liked about the tours was that we were offered an audio box with headphones (I used my own headphones with it) to hear the guide. The range was really far, so I loved being able to wander off from the group, take pictures, and still be able to hear the guide. I love tours, but I don’t love being crowded in a group, straining to hear the guide. This felt more like a private tour since I could be off away from the group, doing my own thing!
We found an Amorino in Heidelberg!!! Of course I had to get one. ;)
Before you leave, definitely walk over the pedestrian bridge and walk along the river for a beautiful view of the city.
Mainz
The next day we spent the morning in Mainz, Germany.
Mainz is famous for being the home of the printing press! The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz in the early 1450s.
We visited the Gutenberg Museum and got to see one of the original Gutenberg Bibles.
Also, loved this crooked pink house! :)
Rudesheim
We got back on the boat for lunch, and by the time we were done, we had arrived in Rudesheim.
Rudesheim is a beautiful vineyard town in the Rhine Valley.
Be sure to walk down the Drosselgasse, the famous narrow shopping street! You can stand in the middle of the street and touch both sides with your hands.
We took a cable car up into the vineyards…
For a beautiful overlook of the Rhine River.
You can walk around in the vinyards for awhile, and take the cable car back down, or…
You can walk back down to town through the vineyards.
It’s a pretty easy walk… All downhill and not too far so we definitely walked. So beautiful!
Such a charming little town.
Love all the fun colorful buildings!
Another thing I really love about Viking River Cruises… They will definitely make sure you see all the highlights!
Trier
The next morning we woke up, and we were in Trier, Germany!
Trier was founded by the Romans, and still contains several well-preserved Roman structures like the Porta Nigra gate (above), the ruins of Roman baths, and an amphitheater.
That night there was a festival, like a mini Oktoberfest going on. Of course we had to check it out! We had to try a little bit of everything. So much good food!!
Stay tuned for the final part of the cruise!
Until next time!! xoxo
I would love to go on the cable cars and walk down through the vineyards one day. What a view!